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Thursday was a typical opening day at the Humana Challenge. As usual, everybody gushed about the conditions in the desert. "Awesome weather, awesome golf courses," defending champion Patrick Reed said. His playing partner, Matt Kuchar, chimed in: "We got just a perfect day today, and the forecast is for more of the same." There was a leaderboard that included a few familiar names and some others who rise to the surface on the PGA Tour only occasionally. One of the latter was the leader, Michael Putnam, whose 63 was nine under par at the PGA West Nicklaus Private Course and led by one. The other two courses in use for this year's event — long a January...

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Thursday was a typical opening day at the Humana Challenge.
As usual, everybody gushed about the conditions in the desert.
"Awesome weather, awesome golf courses," defending champion Patrick Reed said.
His playing partner, Matt Kuchar, chimed...

It isn't too often that Tiger Woods gets enthusiastic about finishing a tournament 26 strokes off the lead.
But the grin on his face after the Hero World Challenge in early December had nothing to do with the score and everything to do with playing...

Golf, 2014 in review
THE HIGHS
• With all those Scottish fans chanting and singing and the photographers jostling for position, it seemed as if Rory McIlroy might get swallowed up by the crowd. Extricating himself for the briefest of moments, the golfer...

Michael Putnam birdied five of the first eight holes Friday and finished with a seven-under-par 64 to take the lead in the PGA Tour's OHL Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Putnam had a 12-under 130 total, playing the first 36 holes without a bogey...

Golf is looking a little healthier.
A day after multiple reports had Tiger Woods hitting full shots on the range, Jason Dufner talked about his return to competition after sitting out for months with persistent neck pain.
"Some days I feel a little...

No one should worry about Billy Horschel getting pumped up for the Ryder Cup. He has a plan.
The hottest golfer in the world right now, Horschel knows the U.S. team needs something special to upset the favored Europeans over three days of cutthroat...

Ben Martin shot a five-under-par 67 on Friday to maintain a course-record pace at TPC Louisiana, keeping him atop the leaderboard through two rounds of the Zurich Classic in Avondale, La.
After breaking the course record with a 62 on Thursday, Martin...

After a stormy beginning to the week, with more than an inch of rain falling on Augusta National Golf Club, players got back on the course for Tuesday-morning practice beneath high clouds and sun.
"I know we're going to have good weather,"...

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Craig and Kevin Stadler ("Walrus" and "Smallrus") became the first father-son combo to play in the same Masters, but perhaps they're not the first family of this week's festivities.
Check out the Haas household.
Bill...

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The last time Phil Mickelson missed a cut at the Masters, he was 26, sputtering out of the 1997 tournament as Tiger Woods was lapping the field. But after stumbling to a 36-hole total of five over par, Mickelson missed this year's cut by...

DORAL, Fla. — It was only the first round Thursday, but the 68-player international field at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship got a taste of just how fearsome the new Blue Monster can be.
The opening day at Trump National Doral had...

DORAL, Fla. --After playing 16 holes Thursday, Jason Dufner said the redesigned Blue Monster at Trump National Doral had a major championship feel.
On Friday, with a howling wind turning even good shots into penalty strokes, the World Golf...

We have an international incident at the Cadillac Championship after Ian Poulter of England blasted playing partner Hideki Matsuyama of Japan on Twitter as an "idiot" for damaging the 13th green at Doral, Fla., with his putter after missing a...

DORAL, Fla. --Tiger Woods showed that his lower back and his golf game are both in good shape, but it was Patrick Reed who took charge Saturday at the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral.
Reed shot a three-under-par 69 on a cool, sunny day and was at...

Adam Scott was a late entry into the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial because he wanted to play while ranked No. 1 in the world.
Scott will stay on top after a comeback victory at Hogan's Alley in Fort Worth, Texas. He made a seven-foot birdie...

The sad saga of Tiger Woods at this British Open ended Sunday with a 5-foot putt for par on the 18th hole.
In his prime, the only question for him on a hole like that would have been whether he made his eagle putt. Now, he had shot three-over-par 75...

Maybe President Obama had an ulterior motive when he invited a group of professional golfers to the White House.
The U.S. and International squads from the 2013 Presidents Cup visited the East Wing of the White House on Tuesday...

After two rounds of solid ball-striking on a course where he feels at home, Phil Mickelson left Pinehurst No. 2 on Friday evening satisfied with the shape of his game. Well, most of it.
"I feel like I'm playing well enough to win the U.S....

"Party Down" (Hulu). This comedy about a less than merry band of caterers, which went for two seasons on Starz in 2009 and 2010, was created by "Veronica Mars" mastermind Rob Thomas with "Mars" cohorts Dan Ethridge and...

Typically, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson play together only when their scores demand a weekend pairing.
Thursday's early tee time with 2008 PGA champion Padraig Harrington marked only the 32nd time Woods and Mickelson have played together on the PGA...